July 25, 2012 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S5413 

LEVIN. Mr. chukwueke is also supported by a number of people in his 

community. We received letters of recommendation from Wayne State University and the Daughters of Mary 

Mother of Mercy. 

I wish Mr. Chukwueke the best of 

luck in his future endeavors. 

EXHIBIT #1 

AFFIDAVIT OF SOPURUCHI VICTOR CHUKWUEKE

I, Sopuruchi Victor Chukwueke, swear 

under penalty of perjury that the following 

is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge and belief: 

1. My name is Sopuruchi Victor 

Chukwueke. I write this statement in support of S.B. 285, a private bill introduced on 

my behalf by U.S. Senator Carl Levin. 

2. I was born in Nigeria on February 10, 

1986. During my early childhood, I developed 

a benign tumor caused by 

Neurofibromatosis, which grew on my frontal and right facial area, subsequently resulting in a very significant facial deformity. 

3. My mother took me to different hospitals for treatment but we were unable to 

find a facility or surgeon to treat my condition. At some point, she heard of a Catholic 

nun called Rev. Mother Paul Offiah who ran 

a handicap (orphanage) center for orphans, 

abandoned and neglected disabled children. 

The name of the center is called St. Vincent 

de Paul Handicap Center located in 

Umuahia, Abia, Nigeria. My mother took me 

there, explained the situation to Mother 

Offiah, and left me. I do not remember how 

old I was at that point, but I felt abandoned. 

4. Rev. Mother Paul Offiah took me in, fed 

and clothed me and became my sole parental 

figure, offering both emotional and financial 

support. My mother kept in contact with 

Mother Paul Offiah and came a few times to 

visit me at the center. I spent all my time 

there and Mother Paul Offiah started making arrangements for me to come to United 

States for life-saving treatment. 

5. Dr. Ian Jackson at Providence Hospital 

in Michigan agreed to perform the surgery 

free of charge. Several generous Nigerians 

assisted with the effort to raise funds to that 

I could travel to the U.S. for treatment. 

6. On August 21, 2001, when I was 15, Mother 

Offiah brought me to the United States on a 

B–2 visa and left me in the care of Sister 

Immaculata Osueke and other nuns in Lansing, Michigan. She then went back to Nigeria. I was authorized to stay in the U.S. until 

August 29, 2002. 

7. My application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status was rejected twice, because I could not afford the visa fee at the 

time. Also, the evidence submitted was 

signed by a clinical social worker instead of 

a licensed physician. The delay in filing for 

the third time was in part because I was having surgery during that time. I had my second major surgery on January 14, 2003. That 

period was a very difficult and stressful time 

in my life, because I had to prepare for surgery, undergo the painful surgery and postoperative recovery, and at the same time 

worry about my visa status. I was just 16 

years old at the time. 

8. In February 2003, my mother and father 

signed sworn affidavits to give up their parental rights, so I could be adopted here in 

the United States. 

9. In November 2003, I began to study for 

the GED at home while receiving treatment 

for Neurofibromatosis. In January 2004, I 

took the GED and passed it. 

10. A few years later, in 2006, Mother Offiah 

died of a brain tumor, leaving me with no parental figure in Nigeria who could provide 

for and support me with my medical condition. 

11. In May 2006, I enrolled at the Oakland 

Community College in Southfield, Michigan. 

My education was paid for by a Catholic benefactor, Mr. Jerry Burns. 

12. In August 2008, I graduated from Oakland Community College with an AA in 

Science and in September 2008, I transferred 

to Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree. 

13. I had been abandoned by my family in 

an orphanage in Nigeria, and I felt I have no 

one to care for me there, especially after 

Mother Paul Offiah passed away. As I grew 

up in the United States and received medical 

treatment for my condition, I realized that 

my mother knew she could not provide for 

me and so she had entrusted me to the people who could take care of me. I realized that 

she had done the right thing at the time, 

given the circumstances. So I decided to 

reach out to my family again, especially my 

mother. 

14. Sister Immaculata Osueke reached out 

to other nuns at the orphanage in Nigeria to 

get my mother’s telephone number, so that I 

could try to reconnect with my family. 

15. I was chosen to give the commencement 

speech at the Wayne State University graduation in 2011. Dr. Kenneth Honn, my research professor, said that he want to bring 

my mother to witness ‘‘her son’s graduation.’’ He wrote an invitation letter for my 

mother to come visit me, but all of the travel arrangements were done by a Wayne State 

administrator, Mr. Christopher Harris. With 

the help of Dr. Honn, Mr. Harris, and Senator 

Levin’s letter to the U.S. Consulate in Nigeria, my mother came to visit me at my graduation from Wayne State last year. It was 

the first time I had seen her in more than 

ten years. She arrived a few hours before my 

graduation and returned to Nigeria on May 

16, 2011. 

16. Since my arrival in Michigan in 2001, 1 

have been in and out of the hospital, and 

ahve had seven major surgeries between 2002 

and 2011 to remove the Neurofibromatosis 

and reconstruct my face. 

17. In November 2011, I applied and was accepted by the University of Toledo, College 

of Medicine, conditioned on receiving lawful 

permanent residence in the United States on 

or before August 1, 2012. 

Respectfully submitted, 

Sopurucki Victor Chukwueke. 

Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I 

ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported amendment be agreed 

to, the bill, as amended, be read a third 

time and passed, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate, and any 

statements related to the bill be printed in the RECORD. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without 

objection, it is so ordered. 

The committee-reported amendment 

was agreed to. 

The amendment was ordered to be 

engrossed, and the bill to be read a 

third time. 

The bill was read the third time. 

The bill (H.R. 285), as amended, was 

passed. 

(The bill will be printed in a future 

edition of the R

f 

ECORD.) 

SEQUESTRATION TRANSPARENCY 

ACT OF 2012 

Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I 

ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 471, H.R. 

5872. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The 

clerk will report the bill by title. 

The legislative clerk read as follows: 

A bill (H.R. 5872) to require the President 

to provide a report detailing the sequester 

required by the Budget Control Act of 2011 on 

January 2, 2013. 

There being no objection, the Senate 

proceeded to consider the bill. 

Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I 

ask unanimous consent that the bill be 

read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the 

table, and that any statements relating 

to the bill be printed in the RECORD. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without 

objection, it is so ordered. 

The bill (H.R. 5872) was ordered to a 

third reading, was read the third time, 

and passed. 

f 

ORDERS FOR THURSDAY, JULY 26, 

2012 

Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I 

ask unanimous consent that when the 

Senate completes its business today, it 

adjourn until 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, 

July 26; that following the prayer and 

pledge, the Journal of proceedings be 

approved to date, the morning hour be 

deemed expired, and the time for the 

two leaders be reserved for their use 

later in the day; that the majority 

leader be recognized, and that the first 

hour be equally divided and controlled 

between the two leaders or their designees, with the majority controlling 

the first half and the Republicans controlling the final half. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without 

objection, it is so ordered. 

f 

PROGRAM 

Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, 

today the majority leader filed cloture 

on the motion to proceed to S. 3414, the 

Cybersecurity Act of 2012. If no agreement otherwise is reached, that vote 

would be on Friday. However, we hope 

to reach an agreement to hold that 

vote tomorrow. 

f 

ADJOURNMENT UNTIL 9:30 A.M. 

TOMORROW 

Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, if 

there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it adjourn under the previous 

order. 

There being no objection, the Senate, 

at 7:07 p.m., adjourned until Thursday, 

July 26, 2012, at 9:30 a.m. 

f 

NOMINATIONS 

Executive nominations received by 

the Senate: 

NATIONAL FOUNDATION ON THE ARTS AND THE

HUMANITIES

RANEE RAMASWAMY, OF MINNESOTA, TO BE A MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON THE ARTS FOR A 

TERM EXPIRING SEPTEMBER 3, 2018, VICE MIGUEL 

CAMPANERIA, TERM EXPIRING. 

PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE

THE FOLLOWING CANDIDATES FOR PERSONNEL ACTION IN THE REGULAR CORPS OF THE COMMISSIONED 


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